“ensemble” gathers artworks with propositions, creative processes and modes of presentation relating to the theme of “sampling”. The artworks are of completely diverse topics and media. This exhibition thus tries to explore the role of “curation” as well as its relationship with artistic creation.

As the title “ensemble” reflects, this exhibition is a collection of collections − each piece “accumulates” works of the same “category”, while the exhibition itself “gathers” works of this kind. That said, “ensemble” itself and every work in the collection can be viewed as an “archive” comprised of numerous “samples” in a broader sense.

“ensemble” has brought together eight Hong Kong artworks, where sampling serves different functions − some use ready-made samples as the creative materials; some form samples in the creative process; some consider archive-making as the creative approach; some adopt sampling as the mode of presentation…, etc. Nonetheless, both the samples and the sampling process play a significant role in each and every artwork.

Often, the curation process also involves sampling and constructing an “archive”. The curator selects the artworks based on a specific approach, before drawing connections in between. In the case of “ensemble”, artistic creation and curation both involve sampling. Have these two elements got more similarities than they usually do? How are the two sampling processes different from each other?